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Eating olives at a café

post #1 of 25
5/6/09 at 12:11pm
Thread Starter 
I love eating olives with toothpicks when drinking foolish things at a café. But here's a painful question. How do you manage to get gracefully rid of the pit? I'm not going to swallow it, toothpicks can't help, and real gentlemen don't spit. So, I simply use my fingertips to drop the pit in the ashtray. Is this correct? That's hygienically mad.
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post #2 of 25
5/6/09 at 12:12pm
I just eat jumbo olives from a can.
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post #3 of 25
5/6/09 at 12:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chrenetique View Post
I love eating olives with toothpicks when drinking foolish things at a café. But here's a painful question. How do you manage to get gracefully rid of the pit? I'm not going to swallow it, toothpicks can't help, and real gentlemen don't spit. So, I simply use my fingertips to drop the pit in the ashtray. Is this correct? That's hygienically mad.

I believe the proper etiquette is to use a fork. Meaning to gracefully remove the pit from your mouth and place it onto a fork held close to your mouth. Then place the pit on whatever plate or tray available. This avoids spitting and using your hands to remove the pit.
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post #4 of 25
5/6/09 at 12:34pm
no one picks up their olives with toothpicks in the countries that grow them, like Spain.
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post #5 of 25
5/6/09 at 1:06pm
If you're at an outdoor cafe, just spit them on the ground.
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post #6 of 25
5/6/09 at 1:10pm
When I was in Spain, people just spat them on the floor...inside the bar/restaurant.
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post #7 of 25
5/6/09 at 1:14pm
I don't know what the proper way is but I usually eat 4 or 5 of them before spitting all the perfectly polished pits out in my (closed) hand, which I gently but swiftly transfer to the closest ashtray.
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post #8 of 25
5/6/09 at 1:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chrenetique View Post
I love eating olives with toothpicks when drinking foolish things at a café. But here's a painful question. How do you manage to get gracefully rid of the pit? I'm not going to swallow it, toothpicks can't help, and real gentlemen don't spit. So, I simply use my fingertips to drop the pit in the ashtray. Is this correct? That's hygienically mad.

Coward. Eat them with your hand - it's quicker and you can easily put more in your mouth at a time. Take the pit out with a napkin if in elegant company. Otherwise use your hand. have a napkin nearby to wipe with incase you need to offer a handshake.
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post #9 of 25
5/6/09 at 3:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chrenetique View Post
I'm not going to swallow it ... and real gentlemen don't spit.

WHAT SHE SAID!

Use your hands or spit on the ground.
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post #10 of 25
5/6/09 at 6:29pm
I use the fork method, but it's kind of awkward.
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post #11 of 25
5/6/09 at 6:34pm
In all seriousness though, spitting the stone in your closed hand is proper etiquette.
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post #12 of 25
5/6/09 at 6:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gdl203 View Post
In all seriousness though, spitting the stone in your closed hand is proper etiquette.

It may be proper etiquette, but it feels like no one knows this and so it would still look weird. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Also, then no one will want to touch your hands.



I love olives, why do they need to be so tortuous to eat in public dining establishments?

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post #13 of 25
5/6/09 at 6:43pm
Well, how do you eat cherries or any other fruit with a pit? Sometimes it's OK and proper etiquette to use your hands/fingers to eat (think shellfish, popcorn, chips, etc...) and one is not supposed to shake hands at the same time as eating anyway. Eat, go wash your hands, let people touch your hands...
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post #14 of 25
5/6/09 at 6:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gdl203 View Post
Well, how do you eat cherries or any other fruit with a pit? Sometimes it's OK and proper etiquette to use your hands/fingers to eat (think shellfish, popcorn, chips, etc...) and one is not supposed to shake hands at the same time as eating anyway. Eat, go wash your hands, let people touch your hands...

I never eat fruit with a pit in restaurants...except olives.

Maybe it is weird to have such a passion for those savory Mediterranean balls of wonder.
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post #15 of 25
5/6/09 at 6:47pm
Everyone else is having the same "problem" you are.
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